Sewing-machine



APPLICATION FILED.

G. S. HILL.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921 SSHEETS-SHEET l- PatentedSept. 13, 1921..

3 SHEETS-SHEE1 2.

G. S HILL. SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28,1915- RENEWED JULY 9,1919.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- a 1 5 A 1 A/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE s. BILL,

OF STRAFFOBD, HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGN OR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SEWING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

Application filed January 28, 1915, Serial No. 4,838. Renewed. July 9, 1919. Serial No. 309,778.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE S. HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Strafi'ord, in the county of Strafi'ord and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the :Eollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to Which it appertains to make and use the same;

he invention relates to sewing machines, and more particularly to buttonhole sewing or similar machines, in which the sewing mechanism operates to form overseam stitches.

The object of the invention is to provide means for severing the thread at the complction of the sewing operation, and for olding the free end of the thread below the work at the beginning of the succeeding sewing operation, so that the loose or waste ends of thread extending from the seam will lie upon the under side of the work, where they will not mar the appearance of the work or require any subsequent trimming operation. It is a further object of the invention to provide thread severing and holding devices which will sever the thread close to the work, and which will hold the needle thread at the beginning of the sewing operation near its free end, so that the tree or waste ends of the'thread will "be so shortthat danger of carrying them through the work to the upper side during the sewing will be avoided.

To these ends the invention contemplates theprovision of a thread cutter for severing the upper needle thread at the completionof the sewing which is preferably arranged to act on; the thread below the work, and the provision ofa thread holder arrangedbelow the work and operated to seize the free end of; the needle thread during the initial thrust of the needle through the work at; the beginning of the sewing operation, and to hold it during the formation of the initial stitch or stitches. In addition to these broader features, the invention also includes certain further features of con struction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter described and referred to in the claims, the advantages of which will be clear to, those skilled in the art.

to illustrate the embodiment; of the invention therein; Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the mechanism carried by the turret, and the parts cooperating therewith; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3, Fig. 2; Figs. 4,

5 and 6 are plan views showing the thread cutting and holding devices in difierent positions; Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 7--7, Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line8-8, Fig. 5; and Fig. 9 is a sectional view on line 9-4), Fig. 5.

In the drawings the invention is shown as embodied in a buttonhole sewing machine having substantially the construction and mode of operation of the machine shown and described in Patent No. 1,063,880, dated June 3, 1913. In this machine, the stitch forming mechanism comprises an upper needle 2 eccentrically mounted in a verticall reciprocating needle bar 4:, an under nee le 6 and a looper 8. The upper needle bar and the under needle and looper are arranged respectively in a rotary carrier 10 and a rotary turret 12 which are rotated during the sewing about the end and eyeof the buttonhole. The work is held by clamps 14 mounted on work supporting plates 16, which are in turn mounted on a clamp carrier 18. The clamp carrier is moved longitudinally to bring the work into register with the buttonhole cutter or with the stitch forming mechanism, and to feed the work during the sewing by a cam groove formed in the cam gear 20, which makes one revolution for each cycle of the machine. The clamp carrier is moved latorally, and the stitch forming mechanism is rotated during the sewing, through suitable connections, from a gear 22, which makes one revolution during the sewing of a buttonhole.

At the completion of the sewing of a buttonhole the stitch forming mechanism 1s looper, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The upper needle thread is then severed by a thread cutter which acts upon that side of the loop which leads from the work to the looper, and thus severs the thread close to the work. At the beginning of the next sewing operation a thread holder seizes the free end of the upper needle thread after it has been carried down through the work by the initial downward stroke of the needle, and holds this end below the work during a the upward strokeof the needle, and until other jaw 34 of yond the stud 28, and the the sewing of the seam has progressed far enough to firmly anchor the thread, after which the free end of the thread is drawn away from or is released by the holder. The thread is thus severed close to the work at the. completion of a buttonhole, and the free end of the needle thread is held below the Work at the beginning of the succeeding buttonhole, so that the waste ends at thebeginning and end of the seam'are comparatively short, and are located and remain on the under side of the work.

In the construction shown, the thread cutter comprises a knife blade 24 formed near the end of a lever 26 whichis pivoted at 28 to the under side of a plate 30 carried by the turret. The cutter lever 26 is also provided with a projection 32 which is recessed to form one jaw of the thread holder. The the thread holder is formed by the laterally projecting end of a lever 36 which is pivoted on the stud 28 which carries the cutter lever. Both the cutter lever 26 and the holder lever 36 extend beouter ends of the levers are arranged to project beyond the periphery of the turret, and to ride upon the inner surface of a cam ring 38 which is adjustably secured to the upper edge of the turret support 40. A spring 42 secured to an gage the edge forms a continuation arm projecting from the cutter lever 26 tends to move said leverinto thread cutting position,and the forward movement of the lever is determined by a stop 44 arranged to enof the plate 30. A similar spring 46 connected with the thread holder lever 36 tends to move said lever into thread holding position. The levers are held in the retractedposition indicated in Fig. 2 during the greater part of the sewing of the buttonhole by the engagement of their outer ends With the inner surface of the cam ring 38. At the completion of thesewing the levers are in the retracted position With. the parts in this bears upon the end of a cam plate 48 which is adjustably secured upon the end of'a lever 50, and is so arranged that its inner surface of the inner surface of the cam ring 38. The lever 50 is pivoted on the turret support, and its outerend is arranged to engage a cam 52 secured to the 7 When the ring 38 at a point just back of clamp carrier 18. The lever is held in engagement with the cam by a spring 54. parts are in the position indicated in Fig. 2, the end of the thread holder lever 36 rests upon the inner surface of the cam a recess or low part 56 formed in the inner surface of the cam ring. After the sewing mechanism has been stopped with the upper and under needles retracted, and with the loop of upper needle thread held by the looper, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the clamp carriage 18 is moved backward to bring the clamps into register with the buttonhole cutter 58. During this movement of the clamp carriage the cam 52 rocks the lever 50, thus withdrawing the cam plate 48 from engagement with the outer end of the thread cutter lever 26, so that this lever is moved quickly forward by its spring, and during this movement the blade 24 engages the side of the loop of the needle thread which leads from the looper to the work, and severs the thread, as indicated in Fig. 4. his movement of the cut ter lever brings the outer end of the lever into the recess 56 in the cam ring, and into position in front of the cam plate 4-8. During the next cycle of the machine in cutting and sewing the succeeding buttonhole, the forward movement of the clamp carriage in bringing the material into position to registerwitli the sewing mechanism moves the cam 52 into the position indicated in Fig. 5, so that the lever 50 carrying the cam plate 48 returns to normal position. During the initial reciprocation or stroke of the needle at the beginning of the sewing, the needle carries the upper thread down through the work, and the looper engages the free end of the thread and carries it laterally so that it leads from the looper across the recess in the thread holding projection32 of the cutter lever to the needle hole, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. During the initial reciprocation of the needle the turret starts to revolve, and immediately the end of the thread holder lever 86 passes oil. of the high part of the cam ring 38 and enters the recess or low part 56, so that the thread holding lever snaps forward, and its end 34 engages and holds the free end of the needle thread by clamping it against the projection 82, Fig. 6. The thread holder continues to hold the end of the thread during the formation of the initial stitches, and until the feed of the work draws the thread end from between the thread holding jaws. During the rotation of the turret the ends of the levers 26 and 36 ride out of the low part 56 of the cam ring, and the levers are returned to their retracted position, and remain in this position until the completion of the buttonhole, when the cycle of operations above described is repeated.

While it is preferred to employ the spe cific construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, in embodying the invention in the buttonhole sewing machine shown and described in the patent referred to,it is to beunderstood that this specific construction andarrangement is not essen tial to the broader features of the invention, and may be varied or modified as found desirable or best suited to the constructionof the machine in which it is to be embodied.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described one form of mechanism in which it may be embodied, what isclaimed isz- 1. A buttonhole sewing mchiue, having, in combination, a work clamp, stitch forming mechanism comprising an upper needle and a complemetary under thread mechanism, rotary supports in which the stitch forming mechanism is mounted, means for severing the upper needle thread at the completion of the buttonhole, means for gripping the free end of the upper needle thread below the work during the initial stroke of the needle at the beginning of a buttonhole, and mechanism for relatively actuating the stitch forming mechanism and work clamp to sew about a buttonhole.

2. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, a work clamp, stitch forming mechanism comprising an upper needle and a complementary under thread mechanism a rotary support for the upper needle, a rotary turret in which the under thread mechanism is mounted, a thread holder mounted on the turret, mechanism for actuating the holder to grasp the free end of the upper needle thread during the lnitial stroke of the needle at the beginning of a buttonhole, and mechanism for relatively actuating the work clamp and stitch forming mechanism to sew about a buttonhole.

3. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, a work clamp, stitch forming mechanism comprising an upper needle and a complementary under thread mechanism, a rotary support for the upper needle, a rotary turret in which the under thread mechanism is mounted, a thread cutter mounted on the turret, a thread holder mounted on the turret, mechanism for actuating the holder to grasp the freeend of the upper needle thread during the initial stroke of the needle at the beginning of a buttonhole, mechanism for actuating the cutter to sever the upper needle thread at the completion of a buttonhole, and mechanism for relatively actuating the work clamp and stitch forming mechanism to sew about a buttonhole.

4. A sewing machine, having, in combination, switch forming mechanism comprising an upper needle, an under needle and looper cooperating with the upper needle in forming overseam stitches, a thread cutter for cutting the upper needle thread held by the looper at the completion of the sewing, and a thread holder below the work for holding the end of the upper needle thread at the beginning of the sewing.

5. A sewingmachine, having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism for forming overseam stitches comprising an upper needle, an under needle and looper, a thread cutter below the work, a thread holder below the work, meanstor operating the cutter to sever the upper needle thread held by the looper between the looper and work at the completion of the sewing, and means for operating the holder to grasp the free end of the upper needle thread during the initial stroke of the needle at the beginning of the sewing.

6. A sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism for forming overseam stitches comprising an upper needle, an under needle and looper, a turret on which the under needle and looper are mounted, a thread cutter mounted on the turret, a thread holder mounted on the tur ret, and means for ,operating the thread cutter and thread holder.

7. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, a work clamp, stitch forming mechanism comprising an upper needle and a complementary under thread mechanism, a turret on which the under thread mechanism is mounted, a thread cutter mounted on the turret, a thread holder mounted on the turret, means for actuating the holder through the rotation of the turret to grasp the free end of the upper needle thread during the initial stroke of the needle at the beginning of a buttonhole, and mechanism for relatively actuating the work clamp and stitch forming mechanism to sew about a buttonhole.

8. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, a work clamp, stitch forming mechanism comprising an upperneedle and a complementary under thread mechanism, a turret on which the under thread mechanism is mounted, a thread cutter mounted on the turret, means for operating the cutter through the relative movement between the stitch forming mechanism and work support at the completion of a buttonhole, a thread holder, means for actuating the holder to grasp the free end of the upper needle thread during the initial stroke of the needle at the beginning of a buttonhole, and mechanism for relatively actuating the work clamp and stitch forming mechanism to sew about a buttonhole.

9. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, a work clamp, stitch forming mechanism comprising an upper needle and a complementary under thread mechanism, a turret on which the under thread mechanism is mounted, a thread cutter on the turret, and means for operating the cutter through the relative movement between the stitch forming mechanism and work clamp at the completion of the sewing.

10. In a sewing machine, the combination with upper thread-handling mechanism including a needle, of a rotatable turret, lower complemental thread-handling mechanism mounted on said turret, and means carried by said turret to seize and hold the end of the upper thread which is inserted through the Work bythe first penetrating thrust of the needle when the stitching operation is commenced.

11. In a sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of stitch-forming mechanism including a needle above the work-holding means, and complemental under thread-handling mechanism below the Work-holding means mounted for bodily turning movement, means mounted for turning movement with said under thread-handling mechanism to seize and hold the end of the needle thread which is inserted through the work by the first penetrating thrust of 25 the needle.

GEORGE S. HILL. Witnesses:

CHESTER E. Rooms, E. MARION BLACK. 

